Thanks a Million!

[28 July 2008]

Crimestoppers receives its one millionth actionable call

Crimestoppers, the UK's biggest crime-fighting charity, has received its one millionth actionable call at its 24:7 call centre which was about a knife crime in Leicestershire.

An actionable call means useful information that can be passed to the police which they can act on to make arrests and charges.

This important milestone – which translates as 136 information logs being passed to the police every day - coincides with the charity's twentieth anniversary year. Set up in 1988 by businessman, Lord Ashcroft, to help the police solve crimes, Crimestoppers operates the 0800 555 111 telephone number for people to call with information about crimes anonymously, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Since 1988, over 85,000 arrests and charges have been made which breaks down to eleven arrests and charges every day as a result of information passed to us. Over 750 people have been charged with murder, £101 million of goods have been recovered and £150 million worth of drugs have been seized.

Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, Chairman of Crimestoppers, said: “When I set up the charity twenty years ago I never dreamt for a moment that we would reach this incredible milestone. This landmark is testimony to the success of Crimestoppers and the impact we are making in helping the police to solve crimes and make our communities safer.

“The beauty of Crimestoppers is that it is a simple but effective ‘product' as it offers the man – and woman – in the street the chance to fight back against those who are blighting our society.”

Dave Cording, Director of Operations for Crimestoppers, added: “For twenty years Crimestoppers has been taking anonymous calls from the public and we want to say thanks a million to all those people who have helped to make Britain a safer place to live.

“A majority of the calls we have taken over the years have been about drug crimes, an issue that UK communities obviously feel very concerned about. However, it is telling that our millionth actionable call relates to a knife crime incident which reflects the gun and knife crime issue that is sweeping large parts of our country at the moment. As a charity we are trying everything we can to help the police combat this violent crime trend by working at grass roots level, raising awareness of Crimestoppers, in some of the most affected areas.”

"As a direct result of information from Crimestoppers numerous crimes have been prevented, criminals have been arrested and London has been made safer," said Assistant Commissioner John Yates, from the Metropolitan Police. "We know that often people do not want to give information directly to police or that they want to remain anonymous, therefore it is critical that communities are able to access the service that Crimestoppers provides.

"I can't emphasise enough how important the information that people give to Crimestoppers is to us. I'd encourage anyone who knows anything about a crime that has happened or may be about to happen to call Crimestoppers. The intelligence we receive can be the vital piece of the jigsaw that enables us to stop someone being hurt or bring justice to some of the capital's hardest crimes to solve."

Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe from Merseyside Police, adds: "Crimestoppers is incredible! It is a charity that stops crime and helps arrest offenders. It is such a simple idea. The police service has three ways to detect crime - catch them at the scene, forensics or someone tells us who did it. Crimestoppers help the public to tell the police who did it. Their partnership with the police service is unique - roll on two million!"

Read the press release 'Ex-footballer Ian Wright shows crime the red card'.

[Ends]

For press enquiries contact

Hannah Daws, Head of Communications, Crimestoppers
Tel: 020 8254 3230/07900 694094
Email: Hannah.daws@crimestoppers-uk.org

Lisa Gains, Media Officer, Crimestoppers
Tel: 020 8254 3226/07795 564313
Email: lisa.gains@crimestoppers-uk.org

Notes to editors

• As well as operating the 0800 555 111 hotline, Crimestoppers also has a secure online form which people can use to pass on information anonymously via its website. The charity has also recently trialled an anonymous texting facility at selected schools in London to receive specific information about knife crime. It is hoping to extend this service more widely in the autumn.
• Due to our anonymity guarantee we are unable to disclose any detailed information about our calls.
• The former Arsensal and England striker, Ian Wright, has donated his time to record a ‘Thanks a Million' advertisement which will be aired across the country on GCap Media radio stations.
• Crimestoppers is an independent charity dedicated to solving crimes and taking criminals off the streets. Around 17 people are arrested and charged every day as a result of information given to Crimestoppers. One person every five days is charged with murder.
• Since Crimestoppers began in 1988, it has received a million actionable calls, resulting in over 86,000 arrests and charges. Over £101 million worth of property has been recovered and over £150 million worth of drugs.
• Crimestoppers UK was founded by Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, Chairman of Trustees. In 1988, he launched Crimestoppers in the Metropolitan Police area. Crimestoppers is built on a three-way partnership between the business community, the police and the media.